Solution to the Almajiri problem in the North

Before I say something on the proposed curricular and the lasting solution to the Almajiri problem, I want to mention some facts on behalf of Muslim parents in the North in general, and in Borno State in particular. This is because it is my state which I lived in and saw some facts which express the feeling of the parents toward their need for Islamic education.

These facts are, there were about 1,875 registered Islamiyya schools in Borno State, starting from nursery, primary, secondary and diploma and I do not know the number of the unregistered Islamiya schools, in addition to the evening Islamiyya and weekend Islamiyya programmes and the number of Tsangaya schools in Borno State is 29,000 as has been said by the Umar Shettima of L.E.A. of M.M.C.

The total number of Islamiyya schools alone are more than the total number of Borno State schools from primary to the tertiaries as Dr. El Nur Dongel said, the primaries are 1,357 in Borno State (see Daily Trust of 22nd November 2014, page 6) and I don’t think that the secondary and tertiary schools in Borno state will be more than 500 schools, therefore the Islamiyya schools are more than the state’s schools talk less of Tsangaya schools which numbered 29,000 and Kano state has 26,000 of Qur’anic, Islamiyya, and Ilimi schools with over 2 million students and all these schools of both Borno and Kano were established by individuals, groups and Islamic organisations. In fact, they represent the good intention and the willingness of Muslims to Islamic education (See Weekly Trust of November 1, 2014, Back page).

But to our surprise the Borno State Government Islamiya schools were very few in number, specifically two primaries for Qur’anic and western education; three secondary schools, one tertiary Institute the Mohammad Goni College of Legal and Islamic Studies (MOGOCOLIS). You can see how governments of the north and the Borno State Government neglected the Islamiyya System of Education. They really did not cover the need of Muslims in the State as much as it is expressed by the large number of private Islamiyya schools. So there is no comparison at all between the Government owned Islamiyya schools and private Islamiyya schools. It may be the same situation in all the northern states, as we see 26,000 Islamiyyah schools with over 2 million students in Kano only. The situation may be like this also in the south western states too. Why are our governments in the various northern states not considering this willingness demonstrated by their people, even when we are in a democratic dispensation?

The above mentioned facts indicate the wish of Muslims in Borno state and in the whole Northern states in particular and in the Southwest in general. I therefore urge the governors of the above mentioned areas and their agents to respect the wishes of their people by integrating the curricular of Islamiyya schools in Government schools since we are in a democratic dispensation and to integrate the government schools with Islamic curriculum in order to pay the wish of our people.

I call on all northern Governors and south western Governors to respect this feeling of the Muslims which I mentioned earlier. They should integrate all their schools with Islamic education, starting from nursery and up to tertiary, so that our children will get both Islamic as well as western education. They can do it gradually to start with primary one of the 2015/2016 academic year and when they finish the primaries, they continue with form one with an integrated curricular up to form six, and to part one of the tertiary institutions. So in 15 to eighteen years, we will solve the problems. Such integrated curricular has been in practice in some private schools in Borno State for about 20years ago, and it has yielded as many had graduated from such schools and finished in various fields in UNIMAID and other institutions.

Such curricular will assist greatly towards solving the problem of begging of the Almajiris, because the Islamic education that parents want is now integrated in government schools of their domain, so there is no need for them to send their children elsewhere. The integrating will solve the need of Muslims for Islamic education first as has been mentioned above.

Secondly, such curricular will stop Muslims from sending their children out for seeking Islamic knowledge, Since it is available in the government schools of their domains.

Thirdly, the integrated curricular will solve the begging of Almajiri since the fathers are no longer sending their children out for Quranic Education.

So now the ball is in the coat of the northern governors and their agents, such as the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. The Federal Government has done its best in this regard, by establishing 152 Almajiri schools from 1999 to date, as has been said by the secretary of the UBE.(See page 43 of the Daily Trust of October 23, 2014).

Dr. Amma A. Khursa, Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Maiduguri 08026070632, 08077188765.